Depression and Sadness Are not the Same

In order to be diagnosed with clinical depression, an individual must experience at least five out of nine specific symptoms, Ducharme said. (Again, this is for at least two weeks.)

Individuals may feel hopeless, helpless, worthless or guilty. They may experience a variety of cognitive symptoms, such as negative or distorted thinking, difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, distractibility, memory loss, and indecision.

They may experience physical symptoms, such as extreme fatigue, headaches, stomachaches and muscle aches. They may sleep too much or too little. Their appetite may sink or rev up. They may feel as though the energy has been sapped out of them. They may think that they have tried all of the treatments known to man, and have decided that now may be a good time to try a cannabis strain similar to Purple Space Cookies, (click here for more detail) to help their mindset to return to a healthier state. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to depression. People with depression have described it as a black cloud following them everywhere they go. Some people describe feeling numb or empty. Some are utterly exhausted, so much so that getting out of bed is hard and walking to the mailbox feels like a workout.